Getting Started on the Garden

 This is where I would like to start my garden.  The area has a slight slope and is northerly facing receiving sun from early morning to late afternoon.  Because of a clay pan just below the surface the soil will need a lot of conditioning to grow vegetables.

The compost I chose was a fish and bark mix which should help to improve the soil. The cost was $75 for a cubic metre.

At present a good thing to plant is citrus.  The timing is right(winter) and Hawke's Bay has an ideal climate for the fruit.  I have decided to plant 6 trees.  2 mandarin, 2 orange, a lemon and a lime.
Firstly I had to clear a patch of paddock grass.  I used a weed-eater to initially clear the grass and then with a fork dug up the ground to get rid of unwanted weeds.

You can see from this photo that the soil is in poor condition with lumps of clay.  Consequently I had to dig out some of the dirt and replace it with the fish and bark mixture.

I sprinkled gypsum in the base of the hole as this will help to break down the clay structure and also provide some important minerals for the trees.

Then on top of the gypsum I placed a few handfuls of sheep pellets.  I have been told the key with citrus trees is to have plenty of nutrients under the trees as well as feed them regularly.

Here is an orange tree I have planted.  The tree is actually three years old and has been transplanted out of an orchard.  It should be hardy enough to handle any frost but I have bought some frost protection sheet to put over them when a frost is expected.

To do this I have put some stakes around each tree and I have rubber bands to put around the poles to keep the cloth in place.  It is best to remove this each morning after a frost so the plant gets its full complement of sunlight.